home


 * __ The Science & Art Behind Oakley Eyewear __**

==

Oakley Inc. is an American company based in California, that engineers and manufactures eyewear, mainly for sports and recreation. Oakley currently holds more than 600 patents for eyewear, materials and other performance gear. Oakley's technology is currently used by thousands of famous athletes around the world such as Shaun White, Ryan Sheckler, Lance Armstrong, Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Ovechkin just to name a few, and is an official partner of the United States Olympic Team. Not only does Oakley fulfill the technology needed by consumers, but their sheer style land themselves in many Hollywood films such as the X-Men series, Mission: Impossible 2, Black Hawk Down, Spider-Man, Wanted, etc.

==

=__Optical Superiority:__=

Many people are unaware of the science and technology that put towards Oakley's products. Oakley has five simple rules that they have lived by since the company was founded in 1975:

=Five rules define our philosophy of design:= > Nothing is impossible — we know that from experience. But new ideas demand new technology, and some are insistent. CAD/CAM engineering lets us experiment and explore. > That means sending out hunter-gatherers to roam the world for inspirations, and locking ourselves in a design bunker until even the raw materials get the science treatment. > We think they should fuel each other until they reach a critical mass called innovation. > By serving the demands of professional athletes, we create innovations that serve all. > That’s what invention is all about. Science and art come together, producing a new formula of performance and style. And, the occasional nasty explosion.
 * 1) **Redefine products by redefining what is physically possible.**
 * 1) **Reject conventional ideas, and when necessary, reinvent from scratch.**
 * 1) **Erase the line between form and function by elevating physics to the level of art.**
 * 1) **Transcend performance innovations into solutions for everyday applications.**
 * 1) **Deliver the unexpected.**

Oakley's main patent that they include in all of there sunglasses is High Definition Optics. To this day Oakley claims that this the most sophisticated lens technology out out on the market. To show how accurate, unrefracted, and clarity of their lenses, they perform a test called the Clarity Test Comparison. The test is conducted by putting an high definition camera behind two sunglasses, side by side, and placing a target at an extremely far distance away. When any lens is placed in front of our eyes, the lens acts as any other medium in which light waves travel through. Due to the concave of most cheaper sunglasses to fit nicely around the face, this lens will trick the retina in the eye to perceive objects where they actually are not. Although it isn't a noticeable for most consumers, it can cause a lot of strain on the retina and may cause headaches after long periods of use, because the eye perceives these waves as 'unnatural'. Oakley has managed to engineer these HDO lenses that fit snugly into frames but still manage to see without any false refraction. They manage to do this by not really reshaping the outside lens, but altering the medium within the lens, which in return lets the eye receive light waves with very minimal refraction. //The photos from the left: 1.) Naked Eye 2.) Oakley Radar ™ - Plutonite® Lens 3.) Nike® Revive - Polycarbonate Lens//

=Clarity Test Comparison= ==

=Prism Test Comparison= This test is somewhat similar to the previous one, except this test shows where each individual eye perceives. Each retina has a single focal point, which when unhindered, come together to concentrate on a single visual, hence why we don't see double on a daily basis. When putting on another brand of sunglasses, our mind automatically corrects both focal points to line up seamlessly, however this can use a good amount of brain power over a period of time. By aligning the lenses within the frame at the proper angle, this problem can be fixed. In the Prism test, two high powered lasers are shot through each of the lenses to show the 'real' focal points of the eyewear. From the left: //1.) Naked eye 2.) Oakley Gascan™ - Plutonite® Lens 3.) Maui Jim® Sport 41102 - Polycarbonate Lens// == == ==

=__Oakley HD Polarized Lenses__= Light waves from the sun, or even from an artificial light source such as a light bulb, vibrate and radiate outward in all directions. Whether the light is transmitted, reflected, scattered or refracted, when its vibrations are aligned into one or more planes of direction, the light is said to be **polarized**. Polarization can occur either naturally or artificially. You can see an example of natural polarization every time you look at a lake. The reflected glare off the surface is the light that does not make it through the "filter" of the water, and is the reason why you often cannot see anything below the surface, even when the water is very clear.

absorbs any light matching their alignment. Most of the glare that causes you to wear sunglasses comes from **horizontal surfaces**, such as water or a highway. When light strikes a surface, the reflected waves are polarized to match the angle of that surface. So, a highly reflective horizontal surface, such as a lake, will produce a lot of horizontally polarized light. Therefore, the polarized lenses in sunglasses are fixed at an angle that only allows **vertically polarized** light to enter.
 * Polarized filters** are most commonly made of a chemical film applied to a transparent plastic or glass surface. The chemical compound used will typically be composed of molecules that naturally align in parallel relation to one another. When applied uniformly to the lens, the molecules create a microscopic filter that

All of Oakley's sunglasses are made at the exact same time to make sure that the axis is aligned identically to each other. Doing so prevents the light from refracting due to any inconsistencies found in the lens. Typical sunglasses have their lenses made seperately, which would throw off the 'center axis' resulting in more glare and less clarity. (See pictures below).

=__Tints__= Depending on the color of the lens in a pair of sunglasses, this will determine which light waves will pass through. That's why when trying on a bunch of different sunglasses in one sitting, some tint colors seem much more soothing and comfortable to the eye. With each tint there is a different light transmission, contrast perception, and how well you see other colors. Oakley provides a large variety of lenses with very different characteristics to suit the needs of any athlete or consumer.


 * Brown/gray/green —Brown, gray and green lenses are color-neutral, which means they cut down on overall brightness without distorting colors. These darker shades are intended primarily to cut through the glare and reduce eyestrain in moderate-to-bright conditions.
 * Yellow/gold/amber —Yellow, gold and amber lenses provide less overall brightness protection, but excel in moderate-to-low level light conditions. They provide excellent depth perception, which makes them perfect for skiing, snowboarding and other snow sports. They also enhance contrasts in tricky, flat-light conditions.
 * Rose/maroon —Rose- and vermilion-colored glasses really do make the world seem brighter. They provide excellent low-light visibility and enhance contrast (perfect for skiing and snowboarding in cloudy conditions). They also enhance the visibility of objects against blue and green backgrounds, which makes them ideal for driving or exploring in forested areas.
 * Mirrored or flash coating —This refers to a reflective film applied to the outside surfaces of some sunglass lenses. They reduce glare by reflecting much of the light that hits the lens surface. Mirrored coatings make objects appear darker than they are, so lighter tints are often used to compensate for this.

=__References:__=
 * //www.oakley.com//
 * www.specialeyes-opticians.com/**science**-of-**glasses**
 * //http://www.allaboutvision.com/sunglasses/polarized.htm//